PPAI 100 is an exclusive, research-backed ranking of the 50 leading distributors and the 50 leading suppliers in the promotional products industry. Companies are scored based on a variety of metrics.
Pro Towels (PPAI 112755, S8) is one of the largest towel and textile suppliers in the U.S.
Over its 35 the years, Pro Towel has expanded its towel selection to include specialty towels for the golf, fitness and sports fan markets, plus blankets.
Based in Pittsburgh with facilities in Camarillo, California, and Richmond, British Columbia, the company also operates a manufacturing facility in Abbeville County, South Carolina, which underwent a major expansion in 2016. That same year, the company dipped its toe into the footwear market with its acquisition of industry supplier Neet Feet.
In January 2023, CEO and Owner Kevin Nord announced a partnership with Web Services Pros and ShopWorks that will boost accessibility to his company’s products, catalog and inventory through a significant IT integration.
PPAI 100 is an exclusive, research-backed ranking of the 50 leading distributors and the 50 leading suppliers in the promotional products industry. Companies are scored based on a variety of metrics.
Bolingbrook, Illinois-based supplier S&S (PPAI 256121, S12) convincingly captures the No. 2 spot on PPAI 100, buoyed by envious revenue growth, a strong web game and a serious approach to responsibility.
The company has experienced hands at the wheel as well, promoting Frank Myers, a 14-year veteran of the S&S, to CEO in October, and is backed by its recent acquisition by a private equity firm. S&S has also made some significant moves to expand its footprint – in late 2021 it acquired major supplier TSC Apparel and only six months later brought TSF Sportswear into the fold.
S&S may be one of promo’s largest suppliers, but it remains agile and has introduced some eye-catching new products. At The PPAI Expo 2023, the company’s Quickflip Apparel line took the inaugural win at “The Pitch,” promo’s version of The Voice in which suppliers tried to win over a panel of veteran distributor judges.
PPAI 100 is an exclusive, research-backed ranking of the 50 leading distributors and the 50 leading suppliers in the promotional products industry. Companies are scored based on a variety of metrics.
Hit Promotional Products (PPAI 113910, S14), an industry leader for decades, is well positioned for strong growth under its second-generation President/CEO CJ Schmidt and a slew of recent promotions and new hires, notably the addition of industry veterans Kim Brockschmidt as VP of business development late last year and Tiffany Tarr as VP of ecommerce in January.
Coming off a very strong 2022, Schmidt told PPAI Magazine in its April’s cover story, that he’s expecting double-digit growth this year.
PPAI 100 is an exclusive, research-backed ranking of the 50 leading distributors and the 50 leading suppliers in the promotional products industry. Companies are scored based on a variety of metrics.
Through a series of acquisitions, HPG (PPAI 110772, S11) has expanded steadily from its founding as a small pen company to the high-profile spot it occupies today as a source not only of writing instruments but also for snacks and food gifts, personal electronics and almost every category of hard goods.
The latest acquisition was in January 2023, when the company announced it had acquired fellow supplier Evans Manufacturing. HPG CEO Chris Anderson noted that Evans’ state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nogales, Mexico, was a factor in HPG’s decision to acquire the company.